CARB-legal LS Swap - It can be done!
- Thread starter CaliWagon83
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The issue is the evap system. OBD2 engines use enhanced evap which includes enhanced gas tanks. Gbodies use old fashion gas tanks that will not work with OBD2 enhanced evap. The law for engine swapping says you cannot downgrade the newer engine's emission systems such as a salvaged LS's enhanced evap down to OBD1 evap to work in a Gbody. However, the E rod comes with OBD1 evap instead of OBD2 enhanced evap, so there is no emission downgrading.
Also in the video, the owner ripped out the 80s interior and sawpped in a modern car interior. Perhaps he does not like 80s carx and is making do with a Monte?
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jiho, Yeah, yeah...I know I was getting a boner for the Caddy 3.6 TT. Just too obscure and hard to find. And that’s right now. I’m just thinking 15-20 years out, it’s going to be difficult if not impossible to find parts for it.
The small-block, in whatever form (Gen I, II, III, IV, or V) will have ample parts and aftermarket support until the dying gasp of the internal combustion engine.
The small-block, in whatever form (Gen I, II, III, IV, or V) will have ample parts and aftermarket support until the dying gasp of the internal combustion engine.
I was just looking into this recently. The junkyards are LOADED with truck 350s with TBI from the late '80s and early '90s, and at first glance it looks like there are plenty of aftermarket parts. But it turns out some items are already unavailable, for example the vapor canister and its solenoid. There are others, depending on the year. For all such you'll make do with what you can salvage at the yard, and when that supply dries up you'd better be ok with what you have.
Then there's the ThermAC air cleaner. It uses an oddball "wax pellet" actuator that cannot be replaced. And it does stop working. You then have to remove a little spring so the door won't be permanently wedged. At that point you are technically out of compliance, and hoping smogcheck won't notice.
K&N has an aftermarket intake that replaces the ThermAC with a tube and cone filter. They start at about $250, and do have a CARB number, despite lacking any ThermAC provision! Yet without that BS, smogcheck can still stick you for the stock ThermAC not working!
If a part is unavailable you can get a waiver, but the waiver requires that you go to a referee once a year, every year, forever, unless the part mysteriously reappears.
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I don't see any reason that the tank couldn't be modified to accept the EVAP stuff.
That Caddy motor will require a ton of accessory drive modifications.
That Caddy motor will require a ton of accessory drive modifications.
Neither does anyone else, except maybe California.
I think Clone Pilot did have an explanation of some problems, though.
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I'm obviously not trying to build a concours-correct restoration. If I was, I'd still end up with a miserably underpowered, wet-noodle chassis that may appeal to a very niche subset of enthusiasts, and when G-Bodies are at their peak, maybe, maybe get $20k. I'm sure there will be ample substitution of parts under-the-skin. My main objective at this point is to get the exterior in as-original condition as possible (minus wheels & tires), and build it to be a solid, reliable, relatively fast weekly driver.
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The modern gas tanks are designed to be pressurized and use a pressure sensor to detect evap leaks. G body gas tanks are not designed to be pressurized.
Seems like even with the painful price, the E-Rod is probably the easiest choice in Commiefornia.
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